The Ordinary continues to challenge beauty norms with The Periodic Fable™ — a visually surreal out-of-home (OOH) and digital campaign created with Uncommon Creative Studio. This time, the brand sets its sights on one of the beauty industry’s slipperiest issues: misleading marketing jargon.
What’s the idea behind this campaign?
The concept replaces the scientific symbols of the periodic table with 49 buzzwords that dominate beauty marketing — from “miracle” and “detox” to “medical grade.” The goal is simple yet powerful: expose how pseudo-scientific language has infiltrated product packaging and advertising, turning real skincare science into fiction.
How was the idea executed?
The campaign unfolds across multiple touchpoints — from OOH billboards and digital screens to a haunting short film directed by Olivia De Camps and produced by Smuggler. In the film, a classroom of hypnotised students mimics viral skincare routines like “ice rolling” and “morning shed,” embodying the robotic repetition of trends driven by empty promises.
Why is this execution unique?
Rather than selling a product, The Ordinary sells a conversation about truth. The dystopian visual style and symbolic use of the periodic table make the campaign an intellectual critique of beauty marketing. It turns the familiar language of chemistry into a mirror reflecting the industry’s obsession with “magic ingredients” and “instant results.”
How does it connect with audiences?
The Ordinary has built its reputation on radical transparency and scientific integrity. By visually calling out the language of exaggeration, it empowers consumers to question what they read — and to seek genuine, evidence-based skincare. The campaign resonates especially with younger audiences who value honesty over hype.
Final thoughts: Science over slogans
With The Periodic Fable™, The Ordinary proves that OOH advertising can be both creative and critical. By turning marketing clichés into art, the brand challenges the industry to restore meaning to its words — and reminds everyone that, in skincare as in science, truth should always be the active ingredient.
FAQs about this campaign
What is The Periodic Fable™?
A creative platform by The Ordinary that critiques pseudo-scientific beauty claims by turning the periodic table into 49 common buzzwords found on product labels and ads.
Who created and produced the campaign?
It was developed with Uncommon Creative Studio and produced by Smuggler, with a dystopian short film directed by Olivia De Camps.
How is OOH/DOOH used in this idea?
Billboards and digital screens present the reimagined periodic table at scale, turning a scientific icon into a public conversation about truth in beauty marketing.
What happens in the film component?
A hypnotised classroom mimics viral skincare trends like “ice rolling” and “morning shed,” reflecting how exaggerated claims drive repetitive, uncritical behaviors.
What can brands learn from this activation?
That clear, evidence-based messaging and creative provocation can cut through hype, build trust, and elevate the role of OOH/DOOH as cultural critique.
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